Say no more! It's as if Altium (and other big CAD software makers) are penalizing the people who are utilizing their software. I wouldn't be surprised if the future issues of Protel will have *cracks* available on the Internet. I've run into the same situation, you have to upgrade your software, but ALAS, the service contract has expired. Now you have to justify to the people who don't even use the software, how much it'll cost to A. Renew the license; B. Pay for the upgrade; C. (use your imagination). My old boss would refuse to upgrade if HE didn't see the benefits. Maybe all these EDA & CAD users should get together and develop their own software than can be distributed for a nominal fee, and have it available on their respective forums. (Does Linux ring a bell?)
Sean James PCB Designer Telecast Fiber Systems, Inc. 102 Grove Street Worcester, MA 01605 (TEL) 508.754.4858 x33 (FAX) 413.541.6170 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Fred A Rupinski" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Protel EDA Forum" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2001 2:23 PM Subject: [PEDA] Devil's Advocacy, ATS FAQs I think it important that Protel users submit alternative viewpoints to those presented in Altium's answers to ATS FAQs. Here is my contribution [my comments]: What is Altium Total Support (ATS)? ......ATS, which switches from an irregular-upgrade development model to a continuous-evolution development model. [ATS is not needed for this. This is an internal operational policy determined by Altium. Altium should always be correcting irregularities as a matter of good practice.]......and the ability for Altium to more easily train and maintain a stronger support team.[Ditto] What are the benefits of being an ATS member? ...... eliminate the inconvenience of lobbying for software upgrades. [How else can Altium determine users' needs?] Why did Altium introduce ATS for Protel users? [The answer "Altium introduced ATS because......" is not given.] Why should I become an ATS member? ...... ATS membership minimizes the complication of budgeting for and administering updates to your design tools......[Protel is one of over a half dozen major tools I use, making this a trivial issue. My budget is an important valid issue however, and $US1995 for membership cannot be justified by anything I've learned so far.] How do I become an ATS member? [n/a for many 99SE users.] I am a Protel 99 SE user, how does ATS affect me? You will continue to receive full ATS-level technical support......[I would therefore expect tech support to be scrambling to resolve a recent issue I submitted, but such is not the case. No response yet. If this is ATS-level support, then the future is bleak.] I have purchased a Protel 99 SE Full Suite since October 1st 2001. When will I receive confirmation of my ATS membership? [n/a for many 99SE users.] Can I buy ATS membership for my Protel 99 SE license purchased prior to October 1st 2001? (No)......you will continue to receive full ATS-level technical support......[I would expect tech support to be scrambling to resolve a recent issue I submitted, but such is not the case. No response yet. If this is ATS-level support, then the future is bleak.] When the next Protel version is released will I receive ATS as part of my license? Yes, ......as part of your purchase. [I can't reconcile this regarding users who already have ATS support as described above. Aren't upgrades included at no charge?] What happens if I choose not to renew my membership? ...... If at a later date you wish to update your Protel design tools......[Later might make sense judging by the current state of affairs.] How much does ATS cost for Protel products? [Extrapolating, I suspect that the real cost of ATS will be productivity loss owing to additional burdens that membership places on users. ATS has already drawn Protel users into a quagmire. This will be denied, But Altium's statement "the formation of closer and stronger relationships with our customers - who in turn can help us improve the effectiveness of our products" means customers will be expected to expend resources hoping to rid bugs and gain improvements. Sadly, only a fraction of user effort will bear fruit. A huge waste of time.] How much will it cost to upgrade to the next version of Protel if I am not an ATS member? [I can't reconcile this regarding users who already have ATS support under existing 99SSE licenses as described above.] I also received another long e-mail attempting to clarify the benefits of ATS. This is an extraction from that e-mail: "......let me begin by saying that at this point you've received limited information simply because there are limits in the amount of information available at this time. Please bare in mind that Altium Total Support (ATS) is currently in its infancy - meaning we've yet to determine how exactly we intend to implement things......" Are people really paying money for this? To summarize, Altium already has a wealth of user input which should be referenced to fix 99SE. Users need a SOLID SP7 so that Protel works as originally advertised. Once Altium learns how to develop a clean, solid product, this knowledge can be applied to future products. The market will buy them if these products are truly productive. Regards, Fred A Rupinski PS I forwarded these remarks to Altium. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * To post a message: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] * * To leave this list visit: * http://www.techservinc.com/protelusers/leave.html * * Contact the list manager: * mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] * * Forum Guidelines Rules: * http://www.techservinc.com/protelusers/forumrules.html * * Browse or Search previous postings: * http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
